#ReadingWithoutWalls (2 of 2)

Last week at school, I sent the Dean of Student Services and our Guidance Counselors an email requesting for their support in our Summer Reading Program.

One of my favorite authors, Richard Peck, once said that we (readers) can find ourselves in the pages of a book. Reading, like writing, may appear to be a solitary experience but, it is actually a shared encounter between the reader, the text and those who created the book. I believe that the book is a safe place where, apart from discovering ourselves in it, we as readers can open up to different worldviews of others. In many instances, it leads us to spaces where we can think, ask questions and seek the truth.

I wish to share this belief, which has become an advocacy, first to our students and hopefully to anyone willing to open a book and discover that it is one of the safest place to be one's self and encounter adventures, challenges and risks in life. Thus, our theme for this summer's reading program is #readingwithoutwalls. 

Comfort Zone by Gene Luen Yang and a display of books promoting inclusivity, diversity and empathy

We are recommending books about inclusivity, diversity and empathy. We can also work together in identifying books that meet the academic and developmental needs of our Griffins. Kindly help us spread the word.

After setting up a spread of books for recommendation and putting up our library bulletin board campaigning for #readingwithoutwalls, the email was the next step in the process. By next week, I will be making an announcement during the school Assembly on the Summer Reading Program for 2017.

Reading Programs are best implemented with the help of the community. Remember, it takes a village to raise a child.

Children's Literature Talk and Librarians Workshop in the NCBD 2015

On July 21, we celebrate National Children's Book Day (NCBD). It is now on its 32nd year and the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), the lead agency of the NCBD celebration has partnered with the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Rizal Library, Ateneo de Manila University for two events. One is the Philippine Children's Book Summit at the Elements in Centris, Quezon City on July 21 and the second is the NCBD Book Fair in the Rizal Library on July 25. This year's theme is Umuulan ng Libro (It's Raining Books!)

Both have an Event page in FB. The links are:

Umuulan ng Libro: NCBD Book Fair
 Umuulan ng Libro: Philippine Children's Book Summit

Visit the Event pages to know the activities lined up for you and the kids and teens you can bring along.

In the Book Summit, I am scheduled to talk about Children's Literature. Nothing heavy or serious. It is a session where we will simply talk about children's books and young adult novels. We will brush up on the important roles we play as school librarians in light of the children's books and young adult novels we like, we don't like and those we keep in our library shelves. It is only a one hour session, so I hope to inspire you to think of ways on how you, as a school librarian, continuously develop ways to love books that your students in the library read about or are not aware of that it exist.

Moving on,  July 25 at the NCBD Book Fair is where my workshop on Creative Reading Programs is scheduled at 9AM-12NN, 4th Floor, Reading Area of the Rizal Library. In the workshop, I will present prerequisites for planning and designing reading programs suitable for school libraries. Basic concepts on reading as developmental skill, its cognitive and social aspects will be presented. Then, we move to draft a school library reading program for a specific age group or grade level.

For inquiries on the Book Summit, get in touch via email to pbby@adarna.com.ph. For registration to the Librarians Workshop, email cpd4schoollibrarians@gmail.com or send a text message via 09399346521.